The wait is over. The Abu Dhabi-based owners might have invested vast sums to turn Manchester City into a team capable of winning trophies but the fans have invested just as much emotionally in 35 barren years. Here was the release.

Carlos Tévez, with an Argentina flag as a cape and the lid of the trophy as a hat, led the celebrations amid the champagne spray while Blue Moon and Oasis blasted out of the loudspeakers. This is only supposed to be the first of many trophies but for the players, coaching staff and supporters, it will surely be the sweetest.

Just as he did in the semi-final win over Manchester United, Yaya Touré came up with the winning goal. The Ivorian typifies the ambition of what City are trying to do, lured from a great Barcelona side to become Roberto Mancini’s man for the big game. “This is why we bought him,” said the City manager. “He’s a fantastic player.”

With 16 minutes to go, David Silva played the ball into Mario Balotelli in the penalty area. The Italian hit an extravagant backheel which broke back to Silva, who passed back to Balotelli. His shot was part-blocked and then hit Marc Wilson, with the ball dropping in front of Touré, who caught it clean with his left foot on the rise. It arrowed low and bullet-quick into the net.

City had been bold and outplayed Stoke from the off. Mancini has been criticised for his conservative tactics but here he sent out an expansive, attack-minded team. Tévez was back after a month out with a hamstring injury and the City manager chose to flank him with Balotelli and Silva, with Touré free to roam behind.

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While Balotelli was particularly impressive, his election as the man of the match did an injustice to Thomas Sorensen. Stoke’s Danish goalkeeper was the game’s outstanding player and in the first half he kept his team in the game with a series of first-class saves.

Having already denied Tévez after just five minutes, Sorensen was alert when Touré’s ball over the top lured him off his line. He got his glove to the ball just before the onrushing Tévez could nudge it past him with his thigh.

That was nothing compared to what Sorensen then produced. Touré, whose earlier 30-yard out-swinger had swerved just wide, was dictating things for City and, with 24 minutes gone, launched himself into one of his typical surges with the ball at his feet. He passed to Balotelli on the edge of the box and, side-on, the Italian striker improvised a curling shot towards the far top corner. Sorensen sprang with agility to his left and threw a glove at the ball, flicking it behind.

Sorensen’s heroics were jeopardised, though, by the actions of Robert Huth. The German centre-back, who has been such a key figure for Stoke this season, had gone to Spain for specialist treatment on his knee injury to get fit of this game so why he risked ruining his club’s first final in 148 years by throwing his elbow into Balotelli’s throat was baffling.

It deserved a red card and with barely a quarter of an hour played, it would have left Tony Pulis’s game plan in tatters. Not that the defender calmed down much, getting booked for going in recklessly — with both feet off the ground — on Micah Richards just before half-time.

City’s movement was giving Stoke problems, with Tévez, Silva and Balotelli creating space by shuffling positions. With Stoke trying to contain them by going narrow, City exploited the space wide on the left. Aleksandar Kolarov revelled in it, sending in a barrage of dangerous crosses, one of which almost forced Ryan Shawcross into an own goal.

Tévez did not show any inhibition on his return from injury and while he is still expected to leave at the end of the season, his commitment on the field was as wholehearted as ever. He played as a false forward, dropping deep to do the damage. It was from his pass that Balotelli nearly got a sight of goal, edging just ahead of Sorensen. When the ball dropped to Silva with the goal gaping, he smashed it into the turf and over the bar.

Midway through the second half the Spanish midfielder wasted another great chance to open the scoring when, on the counter, Tévez found him with a pass inside. He looked to have a clear sight of goal but waited too long on the ball.

Kenwyne Jones was making it uncomfortable for the City centre-backs with his aerial ability but with Stoke struggling to get the ball to their wingers in their opponents’ half, most of their threat was carried by set pieces. When they did threaten to break on City, Nigel de Jong was there to snuff out any danger with his robust tackling.

While Pulis conceded that his side had failed to match their recent performance levels and that City were deserved winners, his side came close to snatching the lead in the second half.

It came as City were pressing intently. Glenn Whelan snapped into a tackle on Tévez and, having won the ball, passed it on to Matthew Etherington who, deep in his own half, hit a long ball over the exposed City defence. Jones beat Joleon Lescott for pace and closed on goal. Joe Hart’s concentration had not been affected by unemployment and he came out to block the Stoke striker’s effort to poke the ball past him.

There were a couple of late corners to keep the nerves at the blue end of Wembley frayed but with Stoke clearly tiring, City had relatively little trouble seeing out the game.

The last time City celebrated this hard at Wembley was getting promoted to the Championship in that dramatic play-off final against Gillingham 12 years ago. How far they have come since then. The question for Mancini and his players to mull over in a summer of celebration is just how much further can they go?